It was around this time last year that the folks who write for The Hockey News decided that they’d like to give all the AHL teams pre-season rankings. So they did, and we made a post explaining why we thought it was stupid.

How did those predictions turn out?

– The Calder Cup finalists were ranked 16th and 27th overall.
– The division winners were ranked 19th, 3rd, 14th, and 18th.
– Four of their top 10 didn’t make the playoffs (Chicago, Worcester, San Antonio, Grand Rapids)

And really, ranking AHL teams this time of the year is such a silly exercise. This is a developmental league, and there are so many things that can go right or wrong for a team over the course of a 76 game season. By just basing your rankings off of how many names you happen to recognize on a pre-season roster, you are setting yourself up for failure, and wasting your time and our time.

Yet, they elected to try their hands at ranking the AHL again this pre-season, and their editor thought it was good enough to publish in this week’s print edition of The Hockey News. They decided to separate and then rank the teams by conference, and Kevin Oklobzija (from Rochester) had the honors of penning the masterpiece.

Your Milwaukee Admirals are ranked dead last in the conference.

Hilarious.

Now, I’m not going to say that the Admirals are going to rock everyone’s world again this year, and it looks like many teams in the division/conference have improved. But here’s the thing — the organization has had over 40 wins and over 90 points the last eight seasons. They had the best record in the Western Conference last season. They haven’t had a losing record since the 01-02 season, their first in the AHL. Hockey-types laud the Predators for excellent drafting and scouting.

So what exactly are they basing this first to worst freefall on? Not buying Coach Muller maybe? Think we’ll really miss Andreas Thuresson? What else did they say about Milwaukee to support the ranking?

Just one oddly constructed sentence: “Rookie Ryan Ellis the next in Nashville’s never-ending defenseman pipeline.”

That’s it.

Just in case you are wondering…..here’s how they ranked our division in the conference:

1. Charlotte
2. Peoria
3. Chicago
11. Rockford
15. Milwaukee

Kevin is probably a great writer, but I think he’s way offbase with this list. Ah well. One of these years I’ll stop being surprised.

Carnac: “Nate Silver, Miss Cleo, and Julius Caesar”
(Opens envelope)
Carnac: “Name three people who are better at predicting the future than The Hockey News.”

16 Responses to Taking Out The Trash….Again

Kevin Zero is not a good writer. He has written other outrageous things in THN. Several years ago he called Rocky Thompson a “rugged player”. I wrote to THN complaining that Thompson was goon who clubbed the Admirals team captain Dominic Pettis over the head behind the play during the first period of the season. Pettis missed half of that season with a concussion.

This is actually good news. The idiots at THN picked Milwaukee to finish 13th in their Conference for 2003-04, the year they won the Calder Cup. Looks like history may repeat! This is why I dropped my subscription years ago. I can get better opinions from my neighbors at the Admirals games than from THN on almost any AHL related subject. They were and are really clueless.

Judging by their picks from last year we are lucky to be at the bottom. I cant imagine we would fall out of the playoffs. We should have the talent to repeat as conference champs. Whether or not our talent plays to full potential who knows.

In theory, I should be pleased to see “my” team is ranked number one (and I could give you a million reasons to back it up). The irony in the reasoning Mr. O gave for the Checkers being number one include a player who is probably going to be in Raleigh (Faulk), But whatever…. I cancelled my subscription to THN years ago when they couldn’t get it to my house within three weeks of publication dates, and I’d get two copies at a time.

All I know is the Midwest division should have some STEEP competition for all of us.

Ads don’t look like a #15 thus far. A win over Rockford Fri and OT loss Sat. Had those two counted we’d have three points through 2 games. If that carries over to the season we’re in good shape. The team is fast, a good mix of players and well coached. I smell playoffs for the tenth straight year!

While not impossible, it’s unlikely three teams from the same division will finish with the top three records in a conference due to the unbalanced scheduling. Then again, our division will probably see a bunch of three point games leading to some inflated point totals.

For the most part, I like THN. I don’t like a few of their columnists, but I usually find a few worthwhile articles from each issue. I like their recent design changes, but I’m not happy with their cutback in AHL coverage (it used to have an AHL section in every issue). And over the last five years or so, the postal service hasn’t missed a beat in getting it to my mailbox.

In unrelated, completely off-topic news, Wacey Rabbitt was assigned to the Cincinnati Cyclones by the Rampage today. Kind of interesting that he’s (kind of) back in the organization, granted it’s with a different affiliate.

Also, what’s the deal with Zack Stortini? Does it look like he’s going to make Nashville’s roster? After seeing all the new players yesterday (all of which who look like they’re about 15 years old with the exception of Scott Ford) we could use some size on this team!

Mark; agree on the age thing, but think speed. The youth on this team can work in our favor. The team looks faster than usual and that could mean better movement up and down the ice. Let’s focus on the positive and see how the first few games go.

mgb, I completely agree, I’m not disappointed in any way with the guys we have, and I have big expectations for them. I would just like to see somebody with a little bulk on them so our guys aren’t just getting bullied around all day.

It is early, but the three top rated THN teams are on the bottom versus Milwaukee and Rockford, who are on top of the division. Peoria 0-1-0-0, Charlotte 0-1-1-0, Chicago 0-0-0-1.

#2 Peoria lost at home to #15 Milwaukee 4-1. #3 Chicago lost in a SO at #10 San Antonio. #1 Charlotte lost to the Norfolk Admirals 6-5 OT & 4-3 on the road. #11 Rockford won at home 3-2 over #12 Grand Rapids. I am going to love this season! In your eye, THN and Kevin Zero!